Cornice construction



Dec. 2, 1958 L. RoBBlNs CORNICE CONSTRUCTION Filed Jan. '7, -1958 FIG.

lNvl-:NToR LIONEL ROBBINS ATTORNEY CORNICE `ooNsrrworroN Lionel Robbins, Larchmont, N. Y., .assignor to Bartmann rt Bixer,IncN e,w York, N. Y., a corporation of New ork f Applicationflanuary 7,T1958,1Seral;No;f701,562 romans. (c1. 16o-. ss)

`This linventionrelatesto cornice constructions-more particularly-toan .adjustable `cornice structure with a replaceableffabric covering.

Conventional window lcornices -are Vcommonly A-made .ofheavy wooden 'vor slidably )adjustable-metal frames serving as. abacking foruperrnanently attachedQornamen- Atal fabriccoverings. Should it be desired vto remove vthe coverings from -.such .conventional lfrarnes, for lcleaning or `for :replacement with .other fabrics,considerable labor and skill is-required not` only in the work` 'ofzrernoving vtheold coverings, but alsoy in reattaching them I by sewing, stapling or` other; conventional fmeans. Moreover, `when old-coverings shrink,inhthewashing-process,11it is often found: that `they cannot be replaced :without considerable alterations.

'It is the object.ofthiscinvention .towprovideuaa-light .-and Ainexpensiveadjustable cornice hav-ing'none of *the l shortcomings yabove, Imentioned-one with-a .'coverling-that dition-.the fbacking frame also :being providedv with-dif- `ferently positioned aperturedportions carrying hooks adapted. to :betfsupportedgby :a Yconventional lcurtainfrod or other suitable horizontalsupport. `JInaccordanoeWith a 'further objective .-of --my invention, :the saidu y-ieldable g members v comprise, ein :.a preferred construction, readily replaceable: elastic bands `attached to link -members'which are tdetachably secured -to'.the :said rear marginal portions ifofvlathe fabric coveringf-isaidllinkfland e'lasticvmembers ihengfgpositioned iin a plane .disposed iforwardlyeot *Said fihooknmembers so :as to .be :out .ofengagement :.Withfthe :saidy supporting rod., `-The arrangement Viis hencelsuch nthatiupon. an Qperativedetachment ofethe link- :andfelasmembersgconstitutingathe saidfconnecting' means f the fabric covoringacan readily'rbe removedgandinpon :en the' dplamentkofasznew; or shrunken covering-,. newte'lastica handszf ysuitabfle length `can 4freadilyibe. substitutedlfor ".herroidzfbarlda tifa-deemed inecessary. liBhe construction :stLhfthatzthezrsaid:hookarryinglaperturedportions `are predetermined". position iwi'th Sbiiilz'flmflb'lg bndble .am accordance-withthepronortions andoffceniguratien @if ,Smead-'iff' The sperilcdetailsriian embodiment @tiny-invention, s Well aS 011m. objects, features@ diedi/anta L.tlaeree `willarmar.".trortlitkigsilrawinrs andthedescfription tierey inafter given;

United States Patent f 2,862,549 :Patented Dec. 2 2, ,1.958

f Referring to 5 the.V drawings.,

Figure lis a rear perspective view of aA cornice conrvrice i rstruc'tion'in accordancehwith a preferred form of-iny invention,-showing'the vfabric covering andljhook `memfrom said links 21 and'22. In thepreferredjorn;.illusscorings,

Figure 2is a-lfront v1ew ofthe structure offigure l1, a portionof thefabric being removedfforpnrposes pf clarity.

Figure 3 is area-r-vlew ofthefbacking frame component'of Figures 1 and '2in"nr 1be1`1t condition and ywithoutany Iattachmentsthereon. Y v l a Figure S4 isa fraginentarytop view 'ofthe cornice construction-of Figures r1*anudf`2 operatively "in placeA over a supporting rod attached toma Wall. g l

Figure 5 is a :section-of'fi'lgure 1 taken substantially along-line-S-Sythe dot-dash'lines 'showingthe relative .position of-a hookmemberfsupporting rod and cornice when .the latteriisin an'operatively raised position with -respect V:to Vtl'ie'rocl. f

iFigure 6v-is alf-section -ofvYFigure 1takensubstantially along line 6,-`6,1thedot-dashlines `showing the position 'ofthe supporting 4rod corresponding tothe dot-dash position 'of the rod'shown in;-Pignre 5. v

'In21theparticul-ar form of my invention illustrated, the backing frame 10, madepof cardboard or similar-light- Weight bendable wmaterial, contains 'scorings 11 and ,.12 at t-he o ppos'ite lateral portions/thereof, and ra central scoring 4v13,`the framebeing bendable ,along any of r,Sad Afabic coveringj14 is applied to'thenfrarne tirev front I surface L16 vof ,the fratrie, said covering 'being :folded `back over the top and A'bottom edges of rthe frame and behind the rear surface; 17 of theframe. tofform upper a-ndiowerl rear inarg'inalportions,` 18. and 19 respectively. l Y

The said-marginallportions 18 andl19 are connected by a-plurality -of spaced connecting members generally "designated 20. :In the -particlar embodiment illustrated,

lsaid connecting-members are* yieldable, and lcomprise yp pper and lower links 21 Iand 22, respectively, Vconnected by an elastic band '23.` ,"Eachlinhhas a'hool ed,`end, ,24 .and 'at -the opposite-ende. ring 5portiovnZgthe 4terrn'i'nal 2.6 of said; ringportion'being `separated from ,the stern 27 'of hook z4itoeproyide'a spacezsthrugh wniqhktheiastic ba-nd23, can be passed, 'for 'attachment to andremoyal ltrated, each-of saidlinks is otsgenerallyg ilatforrnation so -that'the jhook 24, ring 25 and stern '27 aresuhstantially Yin one-plane. The vertical'lleights 'ofgthe nmarginal portions 18 and 19 andthe'proportions of the; links 21 and 22 and the elastic band ,23 are such zthat thejban'd is maintained-in tension whenthe connecting rnernbersfl `are -intheir operative connecting positions illusilatedjn Figure 1J `-therebyfkeeping `the covering 14 .in 'predetermined assembled position ,on the frarnel, andjtheface 411S-of the Afabric in artaut condition. v

The backing frame 10 'contains a, plurality pfrows V`of holes or apertured portions A, 'B and Cgfojr .Qpliatively receiving therein andcarrying thesupportinghoolgs generally designated "`29'-^the apertured portions, of ,row A lbeing generallydesignatedg30, of 'row B 31 and, of row C 32. 'The-said hooks 29 -are lof tgenerally conventional construction andhave av front-U-shaped 'branch' '33,; (see Figure 5) and a rear inverted 'U-sha'ped branch S,4,`,1he lsai'dy U-sha-ped '-.branc'h'4 33 lbeing `proportioned lto'extepd through :anyfone-of saidape'rtured portions 30,*31 or 32, and e'fthe 'inverted fU=shaped .branch34 bei/rig a'dap'itedv --to extend-over aisupp'orting rod, s'uch asy a `conventionalcnr- 'Ianeor Idraperynod L35 ;att ache`d.to .a lwall 136 @Figures f4 -andf-5-) Agpluralitysof:Lsaid^=hooksf29 are op'eratively ,inserted into Yt-he said aperturedportionsfof .any1 selected one of said rows A, B and C, depending upon the desired Y supporting rod 35,

fabric covering, it is not necessary that the relative position of the cornice with respect to the supporting rod 35. In the drawings said connections are shown inserted through holes 30 of row A to support the cornice at its lowest operative position with respect to Figure v5 showing by dot-dash lines one hook y29 inserted in a hole 31 of the intermediate row, whereby the cornice is obviously in a corresponding raised position with respect to the supporting rod 35. Y

It will be noted from Figure 6 that because of the generally fiat configuration of link members 21 and 22there is no interference whatsoever of the connecting members 20 with the supporting rod 35, lregardless of the position of the cornice in relation to said supporting rod (see dotdash position of rod 35). I t will further be observed that the configuration of the hook 29 is such that the foremost terminal arm 33a of U-shaped portion 33 is flush against the front surface 16 of the frame 10, so that it will be entirely hidden by the fabric 14.

- In attaching this device to the supporting rod 35 all that need be done is to determine the proportions of said rod, and then bend the frame 10 rearwardly along selected scoring lines 11 and 12 in accordance with such proportions, whereby the lateral inwardly bent sides 38 and 39 of the frame will be adjacent to the inwardly bent legs 40 and 41, respectively, of said rod 35. All that need be done thereafter is to operatively position the hooks 29 over adjacent portions of the rod 35, and the cornice will be in place.

If it is desired to remove the fabric covering 14 from the frame, the links 21 and 22 are operatively detached from the marginal portions 18 and 19, the detachment being accomplished simply by withdrawing the hooked terminals 24 from the fabric. If after such fabric has been washed it has shrunk, it may still be possible to employ the same elastic bands 23 in view of their yieldability. However, if itis necessary to employ new elastic bands, the old bands 23 can readily be removed through the said spaces 28 in the links 21 and 22, and replaced with new bands of proper length. If it is desired to employ a new vertical width of such fabric be identical with the old covering, since elastic bands 23 of proper lengthcan readily be procured for use with-such new covering. A

It should benoted'that the central scoring 13 enables the device to be folded along the middle, so that it may be conveniently packed for storage or shipping. g

In the above description, the invention has been disclosed merely by way of example and in preferred manner; but obviously many variations and modifications may be made therein. It is to be understood, therefore, that the invention is not limited to any specific form or manner of practicing same, except insofar as such limitations are specified in the appended claims.

" I claim:

1.*In a cornice construction, a backing frame, a sheet of covering material having a front portion and upper and lower marginal portions, said front portion extending across the front face of said frame, said `sheet being folded across the top and bottom edges of said frame whereby said marginal portions extend across correspondingly proportioned respective upper and lower marginal sections of the rear of said frame, a plurality of supporting hooks attached in spaced relation to said frame and extending rearwardly therefrom, and a plurality of spaced yieldable connecting members attached to opposed sections of said marginal portions, said hooks extending rearwardly beyond said connecting members.

2. In a cornice construction, a backing frame, a sheet of covering material having a fr'ont portion and upper and lower marginal portions, said front portion extending acrossthe front face of said frame, said sheet being folded across the top and bottom edges of said frame whereby said marginal portions extend across correspondingly proportioned respective upper and lower marginal sections of the rear of said frame, a plurality of supporting hooks attached in spaced relation to said frame and extending rearwardly therefrom, and a plurality of spaced yieldable connecting members each comprising upper and lower links and an elastic element anchored to said links, each of said links being detachably secured to said respective upper and lower marginal portions of said sheet, said links and elastic element of each of said connecting members being substantially in one plane, said hooks extending rearwardly beyond said plane.

3. In a cornice construction, a `backing frame, a sheet of covering material having a front portion and upper and lower marginal portions, said front portion extending across the front face of said frame, said sheet being folded across the top and bottom edges of said frame whereby said marginal portions extend across correspondingly proportioned respective upper and lower marginal sections -of the rear kof said frame, said marginal portions being in spaced relation, thereby leaving a rear portion of said'frame uncovered, said frame having extending therethrough in said uncovered portion thereof a plurality of apertured portions, a plurality of supporting hooks in supporting engagement with said apertured portions and extending rearwardly therefrom, and a plurality of spaced yieldable connecting members attached to opposed sections of said marginal portions, said hooks extending rearwardly beyond said connecting members.

4. In a cornice construction, a backing frame, a sheet of covering material having a front portion and upper and lower marginal portions, said front portion extending across the front face of said frame, said sheet being folded across the top and 'bottom edges of. said frame whereby said marginal portions extend across correspondingly proportioned respective upper and lower marginal sections of the rear of said frame, said marginal portions being in spaced relation, thereby leaving a rear portion of said frame uncovered, said frame having extending therethrough in said uncovered portion thereof a row of apertured portions, a plurality of supporting hooks each having a rear substantially inverted U-shaped portion and a forward arm, said hooks being in supporting engagement with saidapertured portions, each of said forward arms extending through one of said apertured portions and `being in substantially ush engagement with the front face of said frame and behind said front portion of said sheet, each ofsaid inverted U-shaped portions extending rearwardly `from said frame, and a plurality of spaced yieldable connecting members attached to opposed sections of said marginal portions`,'said -inverted U-shapedportions ofthe hooks extendingrearwardly beyond said connecting means.

5. In a cornice construction, a backing frame made of thin bendable material, the opposite lateral ends thereof having a plurality of scorings transverse to the longitudinal extent of said frame, whereby the frame is bendable along selected ones Eof said scorings, a sheet of limp covering material having a front portion and upper and lower marginal portions, Vsaid front portion extending across the front face of said frame, said sheet being Vfolded across the top and ibot'tom'edges of said frame whereby said marginal portions extend across correspondingly proportioned respective upper and lower marginal sections of the rear of said frame, said sheet being benda- -ble together withv said'frame along selected ones of said scorings, a plurality of yieldable -connecting members attached to opposed sections of said marginal portions, and a plurality of supporting hooks attached in lspaced relation to said frame and extending rearwardly therefrom.

6. In a cornice construction, the combination according to claim 5, said frame having extending therethrough a plurality of rows of apertured portions, said hooksextending through and being operatively supported by the said apertured portions in one of said rows. i

7, In a. cornice construction, the combination according to claim 5, said frame having extending therethrough a plurality of rows of apertured portions, said hooks eX- tending through and being operatively supported by the said apertured portions in one of said rows, said connecting mem-bers each comprising upper and lower links and an elastic loop removably anchored to said links, each of said links being detachably secured to said respective upper and lower marginal portions of said sheet.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Wool-ard Apr. 9, 1918 Boye July 22, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Aug. 17, 1933 

